Not a surface warfare guy, so can't really speak to the Zumwalt, but I found Ghost Fleet to be interesting, but pretty flawed. The theme of an anemic American fleet with technology being both a great asset but also its greatest Achilles heel will probably resonate with many of us (though today's budgetary environment and technological conditions could dramatically change within the next decade). It's hard to really critique his answers to the what-ifs of future conditions since this novel takes place two or three decades into the future. Whatever its geopolitical premise and depictions of the operational and tactical arts, I think what ultimately undermines the book is its terrible story telling. Too many protagonists and story arcs. Seemed to aspire to be a Red Storm Rising, but ended up being like a collection chapters from several Jack Ryan novels.